The Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey

No need to stress about cooking the turkey this year! I used this recipe last Sunday as a "practice run" and it was delicious! Thanks to Carol Vig for sharing.

Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey

Rub the bird all over with butter (inside and out) - 1 big stick

Salt and pepper all over (inside and out)

400 for 15 minutes uncovered

325 for rest of time. 

Baste with butter every 15-30 minutes. (I melt 2 additional sticks to have at the ready)

I also have some chicken broth to baste with too to keep it super moist

Cover with foil if too brown

Tips: Buy a turkey roast foil pan at grocery. So much better that the roaster and then you can throw the thing away. I don’t think the turkey is as good with it is lifted out of pan. 

Here’s the code:
15 minutes per pound i.e. 3 hours = 12 pounds. 
170 degrees in breast and thigh is perfect ready temp

 

My Mama Made That!

We are so excited about this cookbook called My Mama Made That from the Hampton Roads Virginia Junior League. Beautiful pictures and fabulous recipes fill the pages of this old fashioned cookbook. Step back in time and get inspired about entertaining the way Mama did! Available at Jenrosiedesigns.com for only $30!

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Several of you have asked for this recipe. It is originally from Southern Living and and i have tweaked it over the years. It is GREAT for a crowd! Serve with rice and beans.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

1 rotisserie chicken cooked and cut up

1 onion, finely chopped

1pkg cream cheese

1 small can green chilies (chopped)

Flour tortillas (fresh made are the best….HEB has them)

1 can green enchilada sauce (hot or mild)

1 can red enchilada sauce (hot or mild)

2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese grated

1 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste, can top with Jalapeno’s

Sauté chopped onion in a small amount of butter, add shredded chicken, cream cheese and green chilies and stir until well mixed.

Put small amount (2 spoonfuls) into a flour tortilla and roll. Place rolled tortillas into a 9x13 baking dish (might want to drizzle some of the enchilada sauce along the bottom of the pan before placing the rolled tortillas in, so they won’t stick)

Once pan is full, cover rolled tortillas with sauces, then top with cheese. Pour cream evenly over the top of cheese.

Bake at 350 for 30 min.

F O R  I M M E D I A T E  R E L E A S E

Dallas Gourmet Gold Awards Winners Announced

DALLAS – June 23, 2013 – Dallas Market Center recently announced the winners of the 4th annual Dallas Gourmet Gold Awards at an awards ceremony and cocktail reception held at The Culinary Stage, World Trade Center 1st floor during the Dallas Total Housewares & Gourmet Market.
The Dallas Gourmet Gold Awards celebrates exceptional manufacturers in the gourmet products industry who exhibit in Dallas. The winners are:
• Best Beverage: Peach Bellini, Wine-A-Rita
• Best Condiment: Le'Popcorn Marinade, Le' Popcorn and Candy
• Best Cookware or Bakeware: The "Original" Pasta Pot, Bradshaw Bialetti
• Best Fruit Confit: Sweet Onion Farmstyle Chutney, Columbia Empire Farms
• Best Kitchen Gadget: Collapsible KlipScoop, Dexas
• Best Kitchen Textile: Hot Mama Apron, Jen Rosie Designs
• Best Small Appliance: Chef Pro Tortilla Maker, Mercantile International NA
• Best Snack: Marathon Endurance Mix Granola, Nate & Sassy's Gourmet Granola
• Best Soup/Chili: Dinner Tonight White Bean Chili, Backyard Safari Company
• Best Sweet: Fleur De Sel Toffee, Lambrecht Gourmet
• Best Tabletop: Going Stemless™ Magnetic Cocktail Charms, Going Stemless LLC

Food entries were judged on originality, taste and packaging; housewares were judged on innovation, visual appeal and practicality. This year’s judges were: Bill McLoughlin, editor of Gourmet Insider Magazine, and executive editor of HomeWorld Business; Amy Pinkerton, buyer for kitchen & dining décor and entertainment for Pier 1 Imports; and Anastacia Quiñones, the executive chef at Komali Restaurant in Dallas.
Winners received a promotional package and are prominently featured during the Dallas Total Housewares & Gourmet Market (June 19-25).

About Dallas Market Center
Founded in 1957, Dallas Market Center is the world’s most complete wholesale marketplace. Within its marketplace of more than five million square feet, retailers from around the globe source products ranging from home furnishings, gifts, decorative accessories and lighting to textiles, fashion accessories and men's, western, women's and children's apparel. With more than 50 markets each year attended by more than 200,000 retail buyers from all 50 states and 78 countries, Dallas Market Center offers hundreds of events and seminars geared toward helping retailers expand business and increase profits. As a result, more than $8 billion in estimated wholesale transactions are conducted annually within the Dallas Market Center complex. 

 

For you gardeners out there, this is a delicious recipe that includes fresh paesley, mint, tomatoes, and radishes! Really good!

Ingredients

• 1 (19-oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 (2 1/2- to 3-lb.) deli-roasted chicken, skinned, boned, and shredded
• 3/4 cup chopped radishes
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1 pt. grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 1/2 cups chopped English cucumbers
• Yogurt Dressing
• 3 cups coarsely crushed pita chips
• Lemon wedges

Preparation

1. 1. Stir together first 4 ingredients and 2 Tbsp. olive oil; stir in shredded chicken. Add table salt and black pepper to taste; let stand 15 minutes.
2. 2. Meanwhile, stir together radishes, onion, and 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Stir together tomatoes and 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Stir together cucumbers and remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Season each mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
3. 3. Layer chickpea mixture, radish mixture, 3/4 cup Yogurt Dressing, tomato mixture, pita chips, and cucumber mixture in a 4-qt. bowl; top with remaining Yogurt Dressing. Cover and chill 2 to 4 hours. Serve with lemon wedges and additional pita chips.

Note: Total time includes dressing.

Southern Living
JUNE 2013

Shrimp Butter

This is a great appetizer,  it is from the Birmingham Junior League cookbook, Food For Thought.

Shrimp Butter

1 pound unpeeled fresh shrimp

1/4 cup butter

1 8 ounce package cream cheese

4 tablespoons mayo

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon paprika

Juice of one lemon

1/4 cup minced onion

Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and lemon slices

Cook shrimp in water; peel shrimp and devein. Reserve a few shrimp for garnish. Chop remaining shrimp. Beat butter and next four ingredients. Add lemon juice, chopped shrimp and onion and mix well. Chill and serve with assorted crackers. Garnish with reserved fresh shrimp, chopped fresh parsley, and lemon slices.

 

 

CAKE BALLS!

These are so easy to make and are great to keep in the freezer and pull out to impress guests.
All it takes is some leftover cake with icing, birthday cake is PERFECT.  Mash up the cake, icing too, with a fork, until it is well blended. Roll pieces of mashed cake into little balls (you can decide the size) and place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Place in freezer for 30 minutes.
Melt chocolate in a glass bowl, we used dark chocolate chips (can also use white chocolate, semi sweet, or milk chocolate). Remove balls from freezer, roll in melted chocolate and place back onto wax paper. Sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles or chocolate shavings. Keep in freezer until ready to serve. These will keep in the freezer for several weeks. Super easy and very tasty!

Los Patios Cheese Soup

This is a delicious soup for a cold, rainy day

It comes from Los Patios, an awesome Mexican restaurant in San Antonio, Texas

3 Chopped green onions

3 stalks celery, chopped with some leaves

2 grated carrots

1/4 butter 

2 10 3/4 can chicken broth

3 10 3/4 can potato soup

8 oz grated cheddar cheese

parsley flakes

salt and pepper to taste

1/8 teaspoon tobasco sauce

8 ounces sour cream

3 TBS sherry

Saute celery, carrots and onion in butter, add chicken broth and let simmer 30 minutes. Add potato soup, cheese, parsley, salt pepper. Stir in sour cream and simmer 15 minutes. Add sherry, stir and serve.

  

This is easy and really good!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie Recipe from Nestle
1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust, homemade or store-bought.
2 large eggs
1/2 C flour
1/2 C white granulated sugar
1/2 C packed brown sugar
3/4 C real butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
1 C chocolate chips
1 C chopped pecans optional

Serve with Vanilla ice cream, or sweetened whipped cream

Preheat oven to 325° F.
Beat eggs in large mixer bowl on high speed until foamy. Beat in flour, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat in butter. Stir in morsels and nuts. Spoon into pie shell.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between edge and center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack or serve slightly warmed.  Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Cilantro Chili Chicken and Rice

We have been trying to eat healthy in the new year. This is a delicious recipe that 

does not use the staple canned cream of mushroom soup and uses brown rice instead of white.

• 2 cups cooked  brown rice
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 1/2 cups cooked, chopped chicken breast
• 1 can (12 fluid ounces) Nestlé Carnation Evaporated Milk
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1 can diced green chilies
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
• 4 tablespoon diced jalapeños (to taste)
• Salt

1. PREHEAT oven to 350–F. Lightly grease 2-quart casserole.
2. COMBINE all ingredients and pour into prepared casserole; stir well.
3. BAKE 45 to 50 minutes. Season with salt.

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